Yahrzeit, and: Endless Whales

Yahrzeit

She is reduced to a candle we lightonce a year. She burns from duskto dusk, a pantomime of presenceflickering on the stove-top.

Cliched analogies: four billionyears of earth as twenty-four hours;Similarly lit, she graduates high schoolat four a.m., finishes college at four-ten,

gets married after the war, at four-fifteen.Between four-twenty and half-pastshe brings forth four children,raising them until eight-twenty-two

at night. She had takena job at nine a.m., and holdsoff retiring until the late news.Then she flits—like a moth—between

Lake Worth and Queens. Her diagnosisarrives at a quarter to twelve,and parties are held until the lastminute: Kaddish at just past the hour.

Endless Whales

Before Jonah, there was another whale,and another man, still more righteous thanthe known one. He, to Nineveh began,then fled to the docks, and signed on to sailto Cyprus, set on a life of exile.A woman on board, traveling as a man,revealed herself to him; comfort as canbe had was offered, taken; then the galebegan. He slipped into the sea, and shein anguish, scanned the waves. A great fin roseastern. Inside the beast the man was freeto wonder if the lord would just disposeof him. Or might there be a second chance?A different man? Perhaps his child? Supposehis choice had been beguiled by happenstance?